You're My Superhero
by KevyGrayce
Summary: The stress of the semester is catching up with Peter. Between trying to keep up with patrol, the Stark Internship, and exams, he feels himself start to cave under the pressure. May is there to make sure her nephew doesn't stay down for the count.


FINALS ARE FINALLY OVER! My semester is finished which means nothing but nonstop writing! I'm still working on the sequel to Pain Will Always Come Back to Haunt You, but for now we have a supportive Aunt May and a stressed out Peter. This was more of a vent fic that I wrote during midterms because I was also stressed haha, enjoy! Have fun and stay safe❤ 💛💚💙💜

Request: "I would love to see aunt May really worried about peter and her slowly but surely getting peter to talk about what has been bothering him maybe something like that. I like the idea he does so slowly that's good and maybe it's about his parents and how he feels like a burden to his aunt. You could also add ned maybe telling may that something been up with Pete. Post spider bite. May knows."

* * *

May looks into the dark room, leaning against the doorframe as she watches Peter's back rise and fall with his breathing. She's worried about him, but she doesn't want to smother him with concern. It's hard on her to know Peter is stressed. There's no way he's getting enough sleep, if the bruises under his eyes and recent lack of chatter are anything to go by. She wishes she could take it all away like the way Ben used to. Gosh, Ben always knew what to say and do to make Peter laugh, no matter what he was going through. If only it were that easy right now. She briefly debates calling Tony to get Peter to open up about how he's feeling, but ultimately decides against it. Peter is her responsibility and she knows him best, so she'll just give him the time he needs.

Her phone buzzes, reminding her that she has half an hour before her shift begins, so she quietly closes the door behind her and leaves a note in the kitchen before heading out. All she can do is hope Peter makes it through the school day unscathed.

However, when he wakes up to his blaring alarm, Peter is painfully aware of the pitiful three hours sleep he managed to get. It was a grueling five hours of mind-numbing studying the previous night with what feels like no reward. It takes every ounce of his self-restraint to keep from smashing the phone to pieces. He even checks the time to see if his phone is simply out to get him, but unfortunately the harsh glow confirms that it's 6:30am. The light doesn't help the annoying pain behind his eyes that radiates to the back of his head. It almost feels like the pain shoots through his brain. If he weren't so stubborn, he might've actually stayed in bed.

Thinking about last night's study session only worsens his mood. He barely got anything done and, to top it all off, skipped out on patrol. _I can do this, _he tries to psych himself up instead of finding reasons to stay in bed. _I have to do this. The exam is Friday and there's no way I can pass the class if I don't get a good grade on the midterm. I've got this. I just have to hang in there. Deep breaths. Don't freak. I can't get anything done if I freak out. _

With a few deep breaths, he's able to calm his erratic heart rate down and settle some of his nerves. He has Ned to look forward to, so he'll be okay. By the time he gets up, May has already left and there's a small post-it not on his battered backpack.

**Have a good day sweetheart, I'll be picking you up after school **

That's…odd. He tilts his head slightly in confusion. _Why's she picking me up? She never picks me up after school. She knows I patrol afterwards and I'm already way behind on everything. _When he picks up the sticky-note, his eyes land on two crisp envelopes sprawled over the countertop. It's not hard to decipher what they are with their bold black lettering. _Bills. May's behind on bills. _With a dejected sigh, he slings his backpack over his shoulder and heads out of the apartment.

The walk to school is as boring as ever and only serves to leave him alone with his anxious thoughts. Luckily, he shoves his headphones in and decides to ignore the outside world. As soon as he gets to school, he makes a beeline for his locker with his head down. Ned, who has been waiting patiently at their lockers, can already tell Peter is in a bad mood. The first dead giveaway is when Peter still has his headphones in. Ned is then quick to notice Peter's swollen, puffy eyes from lack of sleep and his hunched shoulders.

"Hey," Peter greets in a tired mumble. Ned eyes him warily like he's about to keel over any second.

"Hey… You okay, man?" he cautiously asks, worried that Peter might crack. Surprisingly, Peter simply shrugs a shoulder as he gets his books out for first period. Ned doesn't force an explanation, but when Peter is done gathering his books in his bag he rests his head against the locker.

"I'm _so _stressed out and it feels like I haven't slept in a _week," _Peter allows himself to admit. He rubs his eyes and takes a few shaky breaths. It's getting more difficult to hold back his overwhelming emotions. He's just _exhausted. _

"It's okay to take breaks," Ned attempts to reason with him. "And if it's making you feel like this then you really need one. Just, like, take some time to relax and let yourself recover." Peter knows his friend is right, but there's always that nagging voice in the back of his head. It's a waste of time to relax when he could be doing something productive instead.

"I can't, Ned," he declines. It comes out a bit more frustrated than he intended. Even he can tell his attitude is going downhill fast, he just doesn't have the energy to care. "What if there's people who need help and I'm, I'm taking a nap? Or I waste time relaxing when I could be studying to get a higher grade? Or, or Mr. Stark starts to think I don't care about the internship? Spider-Man can't just _relax." _He's breathing heavy by the time he finishes, yet makes sure his words are hushed enough for only Ned to hear. With clenched teeth, he grips his hair and wills himself to calm down.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm not here to force you," Ned instantly reassures him, trying to get a better look at his friend's face. Seeing Peter this distressed by a simple suggestion is what worries Ned. He knows Peter can take a lot before he breaks, but now he's cracking and mere words away from falling apart.

"I'm sorry," Peter apologizes. While taking a deep breath, he quickly pulls himself together. "I didn't mean to get mad." He combs his hair back into place with his fingers and avoids eye contact altogether.

"No worries," Ned consoles without a second thought. "Ready for class?" He does his best to steer the conversation away from the concerning topic for Peter's sake.

However, Ned doesn't let it go.

During lunch, while Peter is getting his food, Ned discreetly texts May about their predicament. Ned already assumed that May was aware of Peter overworking himself, which is only confirmed through their texts.

**_Mrs. Parker_**

Ned: _hi may, just letting you know that peters acting weird. like hes super stressed and on edge and frustreted _

Ned: _im worried about him _

May: _Thank you for letting me know Ned. I'm picking him up after my shift, don't worry. Keep an eye on him for me. I'll try talking to him later tonight _

Ned: _you can count on me! _

Somehow, through sheer willpower and adamancy, Peter makes it through the day without exploding or crumbling. Ned's mom picks him up within the first few minutes of school being out, leaving Peter to stand outside the school alone. Well, almost alone. His hyperactive thoughts are always there to keep him company.

_If I get in five hours of studying, then I might still be able to get in a few hours of patrolling. Wait, if I study longer will I be able to go see Mr. Stark tomorrow? But if I study more, then I won't have time to patrol. If I don't patrol someone could get hurt, but if I don't study I'll fail. Dammit, why so many ifs? But I can't leave May home alone again, I barely see her anymore. She doesn't deserve that. And we're behind on bills, should I get a job? Would she _let _me get a job? _

A horn snaps him out of his thoughts, causing him to jump slightly. He looks up to see May waiting in the car along the curb. As soon as he sees his aunt, he quickly gathers himself and jogs over.

"Hi, May. Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," he explains while getting in. His voice is tight with unexpected emotion, so he clears his throat to hide it.

"I can tell," May says with a smile. "I honked the horn more than once," she teases. She pulls out of the school parking lot, not failing to notice the way Peter doesn't look at her.

As the drive home starts, Peter keeps his eyes fixated out the window and his mouth shut. Talking makes it a lot harder to keep the emotions back, so he chooses not to.

"So, how was school?" May attempts to initiate a conversation. All she gets in response is a few nods. She isn't blind. It's fairly obvious that Peter is keeping his headphones in to avoid talking. "Do we have to order larb again to get you to talk?" she teases with a chuckle. Peter smiles and shakes his head, still not looking away from the passing scenery. There's nothing May wants more than to engulf Peter in a massive hug and get him to talk about what he's feeling, but she knows her nephew too well for that. He doesn't like being touched until he initiates the physical comfort, especially if he's upset, and he has to do it in his own time.

The rest of the ride is silent.

When they get home, May notices the way Peter's feet drag slightly as he walks into the apartment. _He's exhausted, _she mentally notes. It's difficult to figure out how to approach the situation. She knows he has to talk about it in his own time, but that doesn't make it any less painful. Parents would take away their kid's pain in a heartbeat.

"Why don't you relax in your room while I whip us up something to eat?" she offers genuinely. Peter looks to her apprehensively and pulls out an earbud before asking,

"You sure?" He spoke, so May counts that as a small victory. A simple nod from May is all it takes for Peter to quickly gather his stuff, kiss her on the cheek, and retreat to his room.

As soon as his door is shut, Peter drags his hands through his greasy, matted hair and tries to calm himself down. He's kept it together all day but he isn't sure how much longer he can pull off the fake apathy. He holds his palms against his eyes and forces the tears back as he takes shaky breaths._ Don't break down. Don't breakdown._ _Distract yourself. Yeah, do some homework. Get your mind off everything. It'll pass. _He presses his lips together and pulls his physics textbook out of his backpack.

The plan to calm himself down works for about five minutes. He reads the paragraph over again. And over. And over. It feels like the millionth time trying to understand one measly paragraph. This isn't something that should be giving him a hard time. He _knows _this. Or at least he _should _know this. He goes to a school for science and technology, he should be able to memorize some physics. What's even more embarrassing is that as Spider-Man, he should have an advantage for knowing how physics work. He needs to have that down for swinging.

With a frustrated sigh, he slams the textbook shut and lays his head on top of it. He considers going out on an early morning patrol, he really does, but for once recognizes that he shouldn't go out with a pounding headache when he can barely keep his eyes open. He realizes he might've slammed his book too hard when there's a soft knock on his door.

"Yeah," he answers, lifting his head up. His sleep deprived eyes land on May slowly opening the door.

"Hey there," May greets with a smile. "Did the book insult you or are you just practicing for patrol?" Peter huffs out a laugh, but shrugs his shoulders. He can tell that May has been worried about him for a while now, she just hasn't said anything about it. It's something he immensely appreciates, because if he were to let out all the accumulated stress, he knows he would have a breakdown. That's something he just doesn't have time for. He's already missing workshop days with Tony, so he can't lose patrols too. If May gets too worried, she'll definitely stage an intervention and take away patrols. Not to mention she already has enough on her plate.

"No, just studying. Kinda. I'm trying to," Peter answers honestly. He sits up straighter and stretches his arms above his head. May nods in understanding, but lingers in the doorway.

"Do you want to make flash cards? We could color code them and I can help quiz you," she offers, somewhat hopeful. Peter appreciates the offer, he really does, he just doesn't want her to see how much he doesn't know. He feels like he doesn't know much of anything these days.

"Actually I, um, flash cards don't really work for me?" he does his best to relay his thoughts. It takes a moment for him to better phrase his words. "Like, they don't help me memorize things." When May shoots him a skeptical look, he continues to ramble. "Don't worry! I have other study methods, y'know?" He swallows thickly, but offers her an assured smile. May sighs, but does return the smile. She walks over to him, thoroughly confusing Peter, crouches to his level as he sits at his desk.

"You know I'm here for you, right?" The genuine tone to her voice causes a lump to form in Peter's throat. Peter doesn't speak, just nods in acknowledgement before looking down at his fidgeting hands. "Good." May lovingly touches the back of his head. "Dinner's almost ready, okay? I'll come get you when it's done." Another nod from Peter. As May gets up to leave, Peter loosely holds onto her wrist. When May looks back to him, she sees her boy's brown, pleading eyes.

"I'm so _tired _and, and stressed and I can't focus on anything and it sucks," Peter finally grits out. He lowers his head to hide his shame as well as the embarrassing tears spilling down his flushed cheeks. May's heart aches and kneels back down, but can't say anything before Peter continues. "If I do something all I can think about is me not doing something else I need to do and I can't, I can't do everything, y'know? There's so much I have to do and there's just not enough time! I, I can't study _and _patrol _and _intern for Mr. Stark _and _have time to spend with you! It's like I'm letting everyone down by not, by not being the best Spider-Man I can be and not being the best student and the best intern and the best nephew and the best Peter Parker and…" The words rush out after being held in for so long and he can't help the quiet, body-wracking sobs that follow suit.

May doesn't waste any time pulling him into a warm and comforting hug. She cradles the back of his head, gently hushing him as he cries into her shoulder. Hearing him cry makes her hurt more than anything she could possibly imagine, and she's heard it far too many times. They would sit on the ground after Ben died and just cry in each other's arms.

"It's okay, you're okay," she comforts in a whisper. Peter tightly holds onto her and lets out his pent up emotions with no restraint. "You can't get inside your head like this, baby. You're doing your best and that's anyone can ask of you, you hear me? Just because you have powers doesn't make you any less human. You have to let your body rest or you'll burn yourself out." She does her best to reason with him, hoping that her words can help in any way. Peter sniffs and squeezes his eyes shut.

"I'm, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… You already do so much, I didn't mean to add to it or upset you or…" he trails of, not entirely sure what he's trying to portray. All he knows is that everything aches.

"Hey," May immediately intervenes and pulls away to see him, "look at my face." They make eye contact, Peter's vulnerable eyes looking up at May's calm ones. "Do I look mad?" Peter shakes his head. "Do I look upset?" He shakes his head again. "That's because I'm not. You are never, _ever, _a burden. I'm so proud of you for being strong, but you don't always have to be. There's nothing wrong with being stressed, what's wrong is forcing yourself not to feel it. Do you know what I mean?" May keeps the eye contact, but Peter looks down. It's not that he doesn't agree with her, he just…

"I have to be better," he weakly counters with an unstable voice. "I have a responsibility." May knows exactly what he means as soon as he says it. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.

"That's not what he meant. He wouldn't want you putting this much pressure on yourself. It's okay to relax, take breaks, take care of your body. Those will only make you a better hero in the long run, trust me. And as far as I'm concerned, you're already the best superhero out there. You're what keeps me going." She might be biased, but she says it with such honesty that it moves Peter to tears all over again. Peter frantically shakes his head, then pulls away and manages to look up at her.

"You're my superhero," he tells her wholeheartedly. May presses her lips together as her own eyes begin to water, but then she smiles. The tears gather at Peter's chin, but she catches them with her gentle fingers. She couldn't ask for anyone more perfect.

"We're going to get through this, okay?" She brushes his curls away from Peter's eyes as he nods. "And you need a shower, Monster. Your hair's all greasy and you stink." Peter chuckles when she ruffles up his hair and playfully pushes her hand away. When they settle, May rubs her thumb over his cheek. "It'll be okay. I promise." And Peter believes her, because she's never steered him wrong. He trusts her with everything. She's his world and he knows they'll always be there for each other. That's all he needs.

"I love you," he says with a heartwarming smile. May pulls him back into her chest, holding him with all the love in the world.

"I love you too."

* * *

Next one shot: Holiday Special, December 25th! I know we all love the angst, but we need some family fluff during the holidays!

Thank you for reading!❤ 💛💚💙💜

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